The Only Exception
by KeepFaith-SmellApples
Summary: The twists and turns of Michael and Hayley's relationship... Michael/OC. Completely edited 4/12
1. Chapter 1

**This idea for a story has been invading all my thoughts for my other fics, and I love the show, so I decided to add this to the list of fics I'm now struggling with, especially since there aren't many CHAOS fics to read. **

**So basically, this focuses around Michael Dorset and his girlfriend, Hayley Locke, and the twists and turns of their relationship... Set in an AU where Michael hasn't married Fay. Read, and review please! This is just a short bit, so please tell me if you think I should continue or not!**

**(Starts at the end of Eaten by Wolves)**

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><p>"Well, I think we deserve a night of halftican debauchery. In honor of our shotgun marriages <em>and<em> speedy divorces," Billy said with a wink.

"I agree," Casey yawned. "Michael?"

They all looked at me, expecting me to say something that their leader would say, something witty or sarcastic that would make us all chuckle before cramming into the elevator.

But I knew I couldn't. "Count me out tonight, guys."

Billy stared at me in mock horror. "Whatever will we do without our fearless leader?"

Casey, ignoring Billy, spoke up. "Why not? Where else could you possibly be going?"

"Home. I haven't been there since we left for Russia."

"Why do you have to go home?" Rick asked.

"To check on the house," I lied smoothly as the elevator dinged.

We had all stepped inside, when Casey turned to me. "You're not telling us something. I can tell."

"Don't know what you're talking about," I replied as nonchalantly as I could.

I quickly glanced at Billy and Rick- just to see if they were on Casey's side. Of course.

Great. Just great.

"You're avoiding eye contact with all of us." Casey stated, "And your blinks per minute have increased 5%."

"You count how many times a person blinks?" I asked in disbelief, but he ignored me. "You're holding your body rigid and-"

"Ok, alright!" I almost shouted, silencing Casey's body language evaluation. "I'm going home to see some... One. My girlfriend!"

"Blimey, it's about time!" Billy clapped me on the shoulder. "We all knew it would happen eventually."

"What's her name?" Rick pressed.

"Hayley." I answered.

"Eye color?

"Why is that important?" I watched the numbers on the elevator chime down. 6. 5. Casey, Billy, and Rick were still looking at me. "Green."

"Hair color?" 4th floor.

"Dark red." 3rd. 2nd.

"Occupation?"

"She's a… Fashion photographer. And none of this matters!"

"Oh, but it does mate. Was' her favorite color?"

"Oh my God," I muttered. Purple!" I replied, semi annoyed, as the elevator opened on the floor of the Lobby.

"Why've you been hiding her this whole time?" Billy wiggled his eyebrows. I ignored him, and stepped out of the elevator.

"Aw, do you love her?" Billy called after me as I moved towards the doors.

I stopped, and turned. "Yes."

"Well then, when d'we meet her?"

"Never. After this," I whispered to myself, opening the Lobby doors to the night breeze.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews! And here's chapter two! :)**

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><p>I walked through the door of my home, and threw my jacket down on the counter next to me.<p>

"Hayley?" I called, moving down the hall towards our bedroom. Where was she?

"Michael!" I heard her exclaim from a room away, and moved into the hallway. "I missed you." She threw her arms around my neck and I lifted her into the air. She giggled softly, and I inhaled the sweet floral smell of her dark red.

It was so comforting to be near her after being gone for so long, and I was _so _glad to be back home._ With_ Hayley.

"How was the trip?" She asked, and I lowered her to the floor.

"It was... Alright. I blew up a mirror."

She chuckled, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around her neck. . "Sounds exciting."

I hesitated for a moment, before confessing: "I was thinking about you. Every second."

She rested her head on my shoulder. "I missed you, too."

I kissed the top of her head, relieved that she'd felt the same way I did. Do. The way I'll _always_ feel about her. "But," I said, my arms still around her waist. "There aren't any missions that require immediate attention for the next few days... So it's just going to be you and me, babe."

She smiled up at me. "That sounds perfect."

"Great," I grinned, spinning her around and lifting her into my arms. Hayley snuggled closer to my chest, closing her eyes.

"Are you tired?" I asked lightly, carrying her to our bedroom.

"No," she murmured into my neck; her breath tickled and I stroked the side of her face. "I just like being close to you."

I smiled, her words meaning so much to me. I laid her down on our bed, pulling up the covers around her, and kissed her forehead, moving away only to change into more comfortable clothes. Then I slid in next to Hayley, and wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my chin on top of her head, and then we both fell asleep.

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><p>I woke up as the first rays of morning light shone through the window. I sighed, mentally reminding myself that I didn't need to get up so early. But I knew it was pointless for me to even try to get back to sleep- (that would <em>never<em> happen), so I focused my thought on the woman sleeping next to me.

I could see her chest rise and fall rhythmically, and I heard the slight whisper of her breathing. She looked so peaceful, her body at complete ease, no troubles or worries.

I smiled to myself, considering waking her but only for a second; there was no real reason to disrupt her. My hand subconsciously slipped into her hers, and her fingers tightened around mine. A small smile lit up her face momentarily, before her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at me; her eyes still looked sleepy, but there was a small grin on her face.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," I whispered, using my free hand to brush her soft hair out of her face.

"It's okay," Hayley slid closer to me, slipping her other arm around my neck. "You know I don't mind it when you wake me up. I'd rather you talk to me than lay awake all alone." Her thumb lightly rubbed over the side of my cheek.

I moved my head, my lips brushing over hers. "Hayley…" I trailed off, and rested my forehead on hers. "You're the best," I finished in a murmur, before pressing my lips against hers.

"I know," she grinned, pulling away after about a minute. "And that's why you love me."

"You know I do," I rolled over on top of her, supporting my body with my arms.

Hayley smiled up at me, grabbing at my collar with one hand, while wrapping her other arm around my neck. She slowly pulled me down, her eyes staying with mine, before she claimed my lips with hers.

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><p><strong>This is wayyyyyyyyyy to short! And it took me way too long to post! So sorry, I'll try to post more often with longer chapters! <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the support guys! :) I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I love your reviews! **

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><p><strong>-The Next Afternoon-<strong>

"I like this," Hayley whispered, snuggling closer to my chest.

I chuckled, adjusting my arm around her shoulders. "I like this to. And I miss the time we spent together. But I wanted to say tha-"

I was interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing, in my pocket. I sighed, and I felt Hayley tense up next to me. She made to move away, but I wrapped my arm around her waist.

"It's probably nothing," I insisted, knowing what she was thinking.

"Dorset," I answered, shifting my weight so that Hayley was pinned beneath me.

"Michael? It's Casey. We have a problem and... And we need you back at the Agency."

I sighed again, biting my lip. "Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Hayley sighed, and tried to push me off her, but I shifted the phone to my shoulder and rubbed her cheek.

"I'm afraid it can't," Casey said hesitantly. "We have to fly out to Milan tonight. Higgins wants us to get right on it."

Of course Higgins supports the _one _mission I _don't _want to go on. "Fine. I'll be there in 30."

"Oka-" Casey started, but I ended the call before he finished, and I shifted my attention to Hayley, lying beneath me. "I'm sor-"

"It's fine," she muttered, turning her head away from me. I took her chin, and lightly forced her eyes to mine. "I will be back as _soon _as I can, I promise. And then I'll make sure that I don't have to-"

"But that's what you said last time!" Hayley snapped, ducking under my arms so she could stand up.

"It's... It's just what you always say," she added softly, her shoulders slumping. "You always promise! But you never keep them. And I..." She trailed off, wrapping her arms around her body.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter." She muttered under her breath.

"It clearly does matter, Hayley. Just say it!" I slid next to her on the couch, trying to wrap my arm around her shoulders but she shrugged me off.

"I don't want to," she mumbled. "Never mind. Forget it."

"No! Come on Hayley, just say it."

"Nev… F-fine! It... It bothers me that we hardly ever spend any time together, alright?" She glanced my way, looking for my reaction.

"We spend plenty of time together!"

"Oh, really? Name one day in the past week that we've spent together!"

Where was this coming from? I_ always_ made time for Hayley! Let's see...

Sunday I spent convincing Higgins to let the ODS go to Paris. Monday and Tuesday were in Paris. Wednesday I finished up my paperwork from the mission in Paris and helped Rick (cheat) on his training exams. Without getting caught, I might add. Thursday was occupied with tying up cases so I could spend Friday with Hayley. Guess that hadn't worked.

"So, I've been busy lately! What do you want me to do? Create world peace?"

"It's not just lately, Michael." She sighed and rubbed her arms. "It's _always, _Michael_._ I feel like we're drifting."

"Hayley, you know that's not happening!" I snapped, but instantly regretted it.

She shook her head. "It feels that way sometimes."

I moved closer to her. "Hayley, we're _not _drifting. We're perfect." I gently took her chin in my hand, turning her head to look at me. "We're always going to be us." I whispered, before moving my lips over hers.

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><p>"This is it?" Rick asked in awe, craning his neck up to look at the jet we were about to board.<p>

"Yep. And you better get used to this. It's the transportation we use when we actually go on _authorized _missions." Casey supplied, stepping up next to Rick.

I stayed silent, listening to their conversation as we waited for Billy to get here. I hadn't asked, but I concluded that Casey'd had to pull him from home to.

"But why don't we-"

"Use this for the unauthorized ones? We don't have any power over this plane. Higgins does. He has to authorize the pilot to fly." Casey finished for Rick, with a humorless laugh.

I quietly listened to Casey and Rick's conversation, staying silent. And then, Billy arrived.

"I'm here," he announced in his familiar accent. "We can get going."

"Great," I said. "On to Milan."

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><p><strong>I hope you guys liked :) Review please!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**So, the reason this chapter has taken so long is because after finishing the last chapter, I wrote the _second half of this _chapter, instead of the first. And so I apologize ahead of time for how bad the first half of this is. I can't describe how bad my writer's block was. So, here it is: And don't hate it please!**

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><p>"Talk," Casey demanded, sitting in the chair across from me.<br>I was seated in one of the seats closest to the window, where I usually sat. Billy sat next to him, and Rick sat next to me.

I felt trapped, which I suppose was Casey's intention. "Talk about what?" I asked nonchalantly, picking an imaginary piece of thread off my jacket.

"About whatever's bothering you," Casey said quickly. "Just get it out _right now. _We need you on your game if we want to catch the smugglers. So get it out."

I rolled my eyes, slightly annoyed by Casey's tactics. "Nothing. I'm-"

"You're lying'," Billy interrupted. "In this line of work, you'd think that by now you'd know how to lie by now."

I sat silently for another moment, my 3 friends staring at me, before I spoke. "It's Hayley."

"What about her?"

I sighed as their eyes all looked at me expectantly. "Nothing, never mind."

Billy looked at me. "When was the last time you two went on a date?"

"I dunno," I muttered. "Maybe a month ago?"

"A _month?" _Billy gasped dramatically. "Why haven't yeh taken her out?"

"I don't have the time," I said. "But we see each other all the time at home!"

Casey snorted. "That isn't anything _special. _Of course you always see her. You two live together."

"Yes but-"

"Here's what you do," Casey interrupted me. "_This _is how to fix your love life

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><p>We finished the case in Milan quickly, so three days later, we were in the plane again on our way back to the agency. After we gave our briefing to a somewhat pleased Higgins. After that, we dropped the finished file off in Adele's office, and we all headed home.<p>

And an hour later, I was back home. Checking my watch, I opened the door. _11:39_. great; there was no way Hayley would still be awake now. I threw my small suitcase down on the couch. Then I quietly crept into our bedroom.

Hayley was laying there, the blankets kicked to her feet. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically. _My God, she's beautiful, _I thought. Sitting down beside her, I brushed the hair off her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you," I murmured, climbing in next to her. I pulled the blanket over both our legs.  
>Whispering 'goodnight', I slowly fell asleep next to them women I loved.<p>

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><p>The next morning, I woke up. Rolling over on my side, I watched Hayley for a few moments. After brushing a stray red strand of hair out of her face, I silently slid out of bed and went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee.<p>

2 hours and 17 minutes later (yes, I did keep track), Hayley came out of our bedroom, yawning. She looked surprised to see me, but quickly crossed her arms over her chest. "What are _you _doing here?"

"I live here, sweetheart," I smiled. Hayley rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't you be in Paris or Japan or somewhere a million miles away,_ saving_ the world from some big terrible disaster?"

I sighed, and got up, moving to stand next to her. "I took the day off."

She snorted a walked around me. "Like that's going to last." I grabbed her waist, and pulled Hayley close to me.

"Hayley, stop ignoring me! What do you want?"

"I want the old Michael! The one who would sleep in with me every morning, who'd only get up out of bed to make me breakfast, and then we'd stay in bed until noon watching old Hitchcock movies, and then you'd drag me out of bed and we'd eat lunch at our café-the one we met at- and we would go take a walk in the park and then you'd insist in taking me shopping, even if I didn't want to, so we would end up just walking around the mall for the rest of the day, talking and laughing, and by the time we got home it would be time for dinner and we'd just order Chinese and when we finished eating we'd just go sit on the couch and you would open a bottle of wine and we'd drink and laugh and talk all night until I fell asleep on your shoulder and then you would pick me up and carry me to our bedroom and kiss my forehead and whisper 'goodnight' and it would have been a perfect day!" She blurted, before taking a breath and adding with a sigh: "I just… Want_ my _Michael back. Is... Is it so crazy that I want the man who loves me back?"

"Hayley, I do love you," I cried, wrapping my arms around her waist. "You know that... You know I'll always love you!" I paused, and looked into her eyes. "I love you. And I was thinking that we should go away for a while. Get away from the CIA and DC for a while."

Hayley grinned. "That sounds wonderful." She threw her arms around my neck.

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"What? I have no time to pack! When were you going to tell me?" "

"I was going to tell you earlier, during your speech, but I was waiting for you to take a breath."

"Very funny."


	5. Author's Note

**Author's Note. Or letter, I guess. It's a long note. A mini-letter. Whatever. Just read on.**

**So, I really enjoyed writing this story when I started writing it, but now I'm losing interest. Not in the couple, but with writing the story. I can't seem to come up with ideas anymore, and it seems to me like the chapters are getter shorter and worse than other things I could write.  
>When I started, I had a lot of scattered ideas and things that Michael and Hayley could do together, but I couldn't organize them into the story very well. So, I've decided to end the story. Sorry guys.<br>But, don't freak out too much! I figured that if I was ending the story, then I would just write a bunch of one-shots about them. And songfics. Or drabbles (will someone explain to me what a drabble is, exactly? I really have no idea...) **

**But anyway, I could always start an actually story with them. One that has a strict plot outline, not one that was just kind of lazily thrown together. So, please tell me what you think. Review or PM me, I don't mind. We could talk. Maybe you guys could give me ideas. ****Please?**


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